Viral meningitis

[Julene]

Viral meningitis is inflammation of the layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord (meninges) and of the fluid-filled space between the meninges (subarachnoid space) when it is caused by viruses.

Viral meningitis usually begins with symptoms of a viral infection such as fever, a general feeling of illness, headache, and muscle aches.
Later, people develop a headache and a stiff neck that makes lowering the chin to the chest difficult or impossible.
Doctors suspect viral meningitis based on symptoms and do a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to confirm the diagnosis.
If people appear very ill, they are treated for bacterial meningitis until that diagnosis is ruled out.
If the cause is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or a herpesvirus, drugs effective against those viruses are used.
For other viruses, no effective drugs are available, but most people recover on their own within weeks.

(See also Introduction to Meningitis.)
The brain and spinal cord are covered by three layers of tissue called meninges. The subarachnoid space is located between the middle layer and the inner layer of the meninges, which cover the brain and spinal cord. It contains the cerebrospinal fluid, which flows through the meninges, fills the spaces within the brain, and helps cushion the brain and spinal cord.
Viral meningitis is the most common cause of aseptic meningitis. Aseptic meningitis refers to meningitis that is caused by anything other than the bacteria that typically cause meningitis. Thus, aseptic meningitis can include meningitis caused by drugs, disorders that are not infections, or other organisms (such as the bacteria that cause Lyme disease or syphilis).